Governors Chris Christie, Rick Perry rule out 2012 runs

There has been a lot of talk surrounding whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could toss his hat in the 2012 ring considering his growing positive reputation in his home state. This morning on Meet the Press, Christie denied he was even considering a 2012 campaign:

Gov. Chris Christie has slammed the door on speculation that he’s a presidential contender for 2012, but in an appearance this morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he left room for the possibility of a run four years later.

Christie said he would first have to decide whether to run for reelection as governor in 2013 before weighing any other political aspirations.

“And that’s going to be determined by how good a job I do and whether the people of the state of New Jersey want me back,” he told “Meet the Press” moderator David Gregory.

Last week, Christie said nothing “short of suicide” would convince people that he will not run for president in 2012.

But Gregory asked if it’s fair to say the door was open after his first term as governor is up in 2013.

Mark Christie down for a possible 2016 run if the chips all fall correctly.

Deep in the heart of Texas, Governor Rick Perry is also fending off speculation as to whether he too is/was considering launching a 2012 bid:

AUSTIN — Despite heightened visibility after his commanding re-election victory this week, Gov. Rick Perry today insisted that he will not be a presidential contender in 2012 as he began a two-day round of nationally televised interviews to promote his newly released book, Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington.

Interviewed by Meredith Viera, co-host of NBC’s Today Show, the 60-year-old Republican governor dismissed Viera’s suggestions that the release of his book his might be aimed at stoking national attention toward a run as president. Viera pointed out that Barack Obama and George W. Bush both published books at the outset of their presidential campaigns.

“So you don’t see any scenario where the party is going to come to you and say we need you in 2012 and you would accept?” Viera asked.

Saying he doesn’t see that scenario “at all,” Perry responded, “I’m not running for the presidency of the United States.”

He also said that he has the world’s “greatest job” as governor of Texas and said that the arguments he lays out in his book should be a further illustration that he is not a contender for president. Anyone running for president, he told Viera, is not going to be taking on the issues “with the power that I do.”

Perry and Christie were long shots for conservatives eager to see their respective records touted on a national stage. However, look for both Christie and Perry to be on the 2012 campaign trail in a supportive role for whoever the Republican nominee ends up being.

Nate Ashworth is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for almost a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016.